Thatcher and Reagan together one last time

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Margaret Thatcher will deliver a eulogy at Ronald Reagan's funeral, it has emerged as the US mourned one of the most influential and colourful presidents of the 20th century.

Long before he died, Mr Reagan asked his old friend and ideological ally if she would pay tribute at the service. Her 10-minute address will be one of the highlights of the state funeral on Friday in the National Cathedral in Washington.

It is expected to be the most emotional state occasion in Washington since the funeral of John Kennedy in 1963 and is being compared in political significance with the funeral in 1945 of Franklin Roosevelt.

Lady Thatcher, who has had to give up formal public speaking on the advice of her doctors, recorded her remarks before Mr Reagan's death. Her speech will be broadcast during the service, which she will attend. It is believed to be the first time a non-American has been invited to deliver a eulogy for a US president.

Flags flew at half-mast across America and shrines of flowers formed outside the many public buildings bearing the Reagan name to honour the former president, who died, aged 93, at his Los Angeles home with his wife Nancy at his side.

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Mr Reagan began making his funeral plans 20 years ago. It was his wish to be memorialised in Washington and California, where he became a movie star and later launched his political career, serving two terms as governor.

He picked his burial site on the west lawn of the library. Yesterday his coffin started a five-day journey, allowing Americans to mourn in person the passing of the "Great Communicator", as he wished.

Military personnel from each branch of the armed forces will guard the body of the former commander-in-chief.

His body will travel to the Reagan presidential library in Simi Valley, California, where it will lie in state for two days before being flown to Washington to lie in state in the Capitol until Thursday. In an echo of Kennedy's funeral, a lone drummer, his drum covered in black, will accompany the procession.

The traditional state funeral - the first in Washington for a president since Lyndon Johnson's in 1973 - takes place on Friday (1.30am Saturday, Sydney time). The coffin will be carried on a gun carriage from the Capitol to the White House. From there a hearse will carry it to the cathedral.

President George Bush will speak at the service and former US senator John Danforth, a minister who was recently nominated US ambassador to the United Nations, will officiate.

Joanne Drake, the Reagan family's spokeswoman, said that the guest list for the cathedral service was still being drawn up but the family would try to accommodate world leaders who want to attend. Many heads of state will be in Georgia this week for the Group of Eight summit.

There will be a private sunset burial on Friday in his beloved California where he began his journey from Hollywood to the White House.